Module 8: Integrating & Optimizing the NP Role in LTC Practice
197 8.1.2 Psychosocial Factors
It is important to protect and promote the Psychological Health & Safety (PH&S) of health-care workers. In doing so, health-care organizations can:
- Reduce absenteeism and turnover
- Boost productivity
- Reduce errors
- Reduce health-care costs
- Improve patient/service user satisfaction
- Enhance organization’s reputation
- Improve recruitment and retention
- Improve morale, relationships, and sense of purpose
Every health care worker in Canada deserves to be employed in an organization that prioritizes PH&S. PH&S well-being and mental health of health care workers can make a tremendous difference in the quality of care they (and their organizations) can provide[2][3][4][5].
Reflection
Use the following prompts to reflect on how your colleagues could help you feel more psychologically safe at school/work.
- How do you prefer to receive feedback? (verbal, written, ahead of time, prefer not knowing in advance)
- When do you have the most energy to perform work tasks? (morning, afternoon, evening, overnight)
- What parts of your job do you find energizing? Draining?
- How important are routines and structure in my work life?
- What part of your job requires the most routine/structure for you?
- How do you adapt to change in your workplace? (quickly, moderately, slowly)
Based on consultations with health care organizations, the MHCC and HealthCareCAN developed two additional factors especially relevant to health care[8][9]:
- Protection from moral distress: staff can work with a sense of integrity while being supported by their profession, employer, and peers
- Support for psychological self-care: staff are encouraged to care for their own psychological health and safety
- (Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario, 2013 ↵
- O'donovan & Mcauliffe, 2020 ↵
- Houbby et al., 2021 ↵
- Luther & Flattes, 2022 ↵
- Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2013 ↵
- Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario, 2013 ↵
- Baynton, n.d., & Arnold & Arnold, n.d. ↵
- Grady et al., 2022 ↵
- Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2021 ↵